


to the lullaby and the ceaseless roar

by Mizzy



Category: Leverage
Genre: Birthday, F/M, First Kiss, Pre-Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-06
Updated: 2019-06-06
Packaged: 2020-04-11 16:10:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 775
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19113163
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mizzy/pseuds/Mizzy
Summary: Sophie leaves him an incriminating letter.I'm going to steal something tonight, Ford, catch me and I'll tell you what it is, followed by coordinates to a first clue and a kiss, in her favorite shade of lipstick.





	to the lullaby and the ceaseless roar

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tanghali](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tanghali/gifts).



> This is a birthday gift for tanghali, because we really do need the million hours of Nate/Sophie sexy pre-series adventures, and this will have to do for now. <3 Happy birthday!! :D

   
Of course he turns up at just a couple of minutes to the hour: he's like that. Sophie appreciates that in a man, just the right touch of melodrama.

"Took you long enough," Sophie says.

Nathan Ford laughs, leaning against the door frame for a second. His tie is askew and so is his usually slicked-down hair. Perhaps her clues were a little difficult. "I'm here exactly when you thought I would be," he says.

Sophie regards him coolly, because, well, yes. She holds up a glass speculatively and he straightens and crosses the floor, slipping onto the barstool next to hers. "Fancy a drink, darling?"

"I'm not big on alcohol while I'm working, _darling_ ," Nate says. He catches the bartender's attention and holds up a finger, ordering a sparkling water with lime because that kind of stickler to rules is just what he's like, even though his eyes catch and hold on the line of aged whiskeys with a brief hint of longing.

Sophie's used to that from him. The brief moments of _want_ when he looks at her that he immediately pushes away, like a good tortured Catholic boy. "You here to arrest me then? Because you can't." She shoots him a confident smile. "I haven't stolen anything yet."

Nate laughs. "I have this very incriminating letter from you. It has your DNA on it and everything." He squints. "I've left it in a safe place. Which I assume you _could_  probably get into regardless, but why make it easy?" His expression is wry; the treasure hunt she left him spanning the city was relatively difficult, even for a man of his intelligence.

Sophie did leave him an incriminating letter. _I'm going to steal something tonight, Ford, catch me and I'll tell you what it is_ , followed by coordinates to a first clue and a kiss, in her favorite shade of lipstick. "Who said it was my lips?"

Nate smirks and looks away, an interesting pink tinge on his cheeks. "You have distinctively shaped lips, Ms. Devereaux." He leans his elbows on the bar and turns to look at her. "Care to confess? I can get you a reduced sentence."

"I can get _those_ on my own," Sophie says, rolling her eyes. "Don't you want to know what I plan to steal?"

"I assumed you'd already stolen it and wanted to gloat."

Sophie arches an eyebrow. "So why did you come?"

"Because sometimes when you think you're being clever you leave me an inadvertent clue."

"How's that working for you today?"

Nate regards her. "I'll let you know."

God, she loves his swagger. That usually means he doesn't have a clue and is just making it up as he goes along, and it shouldn't be so attractive, except she's seen that work for him. Either when he preternaturally knows what's happening at every stage, or somehow bluffs his way into everyone _believing_ he does, and honestly, Sophie doesn't know which option is hotter.

Sophie leans in, holds his gaze, and then kisses him. He startles but sinks into it, and it's just for a second, all warmth and wetness, and _yes_  there's the thrill of friction that slips down her spine that she'd always assumed would be there.

Nate forces himself to pull back, alas, and for a second their eyes are locked, all heat and giddiness, but then Nate's face closes down and he straightens. He doesn't have to say 'I'm married', because they both already know that. "What was that for?"

Sophie hums. "Maybe it's my birthday."

Nate looks at her disbelievingly. "As if you'd give me that much of a clue to your real identity."

Sophie shrugs. "Guess you'll never know." She takes her drink, swigs the last of it, and hops off her stool, heading for the exit. She smiles when she hears the clanking noise that means Nate has realized she's handcuffed him to the bar during the kiss. She wonders how long it will take him to realize the key's in his own pocket.

"You still owe me," Nate calls. She pauses where she is. "I found you. You promised. What is it that you're planning to steal?

Sophie spins on her heel and smiles at him, widely. "Oh, Nate," she says, and backs up to the doorway. She smirks. "I just stole it." He doesn't understand until she touches her own lips, winks, and blows him a kiss before walking away. Sophie smirks to herself, already happily replaying the memory of the kiss in her mind. It's gonna go down in the records as one of her favorite birthdays for a very long time, she thinks.

 


End file.
